UTSA, East Carolina all tied up heading into Sunday’s Game 3

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

UTSA starting pitcher Conor Myles. UTSA beat East Carolina 6-1 in American Conference baseball on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA starting pitcher Conor Myles worked into the sixth inning Saturday as UTSA beat East Carolina 6-1 at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The American Conference showdown is all tied up.

UTSA evened the three-game weekend series at one win apiece Saturday with a 6-1 victory over East Carolina before 1,174 fans at Roadrunner Field.

The rubber match is scheduled Sunday at 1 p.m.

Drew Detlefsen doubled, homered and scored twice to back the pitching of starter Conor Myles and reliever Sam Simmons.

Myles pitched five innings and earned the win, improving to 3-1, while Simmons worked the last four and notched his third save.

East Carolina starter Ryan Towers, who didn’t make it out of a wild first inning, took the loss and fell to 2-1.

Towers gave up five runs, four of them earned, on five hits. He was replaced without recording an out.

Records

East Carolina 16-11-1, 3-2
UTSA 18-9, 3-2

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.
UTSA at Incarnate Word, Tuesday, 2 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Sunday, 1 p.m.

A turning point

The game turned on events in the first inning. After Myles yielded a couple of hits and then worked his way out of a jam with a runner at third base, the Roadrunners exploded for five runs on five hits and a couple of costly errors in the bottom half.

Drew Detlefsen had a hit and scored a run in the Roadrunners' five-run first inning. UTSA beat East Carolina 6-1 in American Conference baseball on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Drew Detlefsen churns around third base, headed for home, on a throwing error by East Carolina shortstop Nick Parham in the first inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On the first pitch to the Roadrunners, Caden Miller swatted it up the middle for a single. With Drew Detlefsen at the plate, more good things started to happen for UTSA.

Detlefsen smoked a drive to the base of the left field wall. Austin Irby played it off the carom and fired to the cutoff man, shortstop Nick Parham. As Parham wheeled around, Miller was sliding into third, so he looked at second and cocked his throwing arm in hopes that he might have a play on Detlefsen.

As it turned out, Parham didn’t have a play, but in trying to hold onto the ball, it slipped out out of his hand. The arm motion subsequently sent it bounding across the outfield with nobody in position to pick it up.

As a result, UTSA fans started to cheer and Miller scored easily, with Detlefsen coming all the way around to cross home plate on what evolved into a two-base throwing error and a 2-0 lead for the Roadrunners.

Drew Detlefsen enjoys the moment after lining a ball off the left field wall and then scoring on a two-base throwing error by the Pirates’ shortstop. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Christian Hallmark’s impact

UTSA outfielder Christian Hallmark has played a major role in the Roadrunners’ fast start to the season.

A sophomore junior college transfer and the son of the head coach, Hallmark’s slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) is a good one — .325/.441/.519.

But, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Hallmark’s speed on the bases can cause heartburn in the visitors’ dugout. Case in point, the first inning of Saturday’s game.

With UTSA leading 3-0, Hallmark stepped to the plate as the first batter to face East Carolina relief pitcher Gavin Marley. On base for the Roadrunners were Andrew Stucky at second and Garrett Gruell at first.

Hallmark chopped a ground ball to the right side, fielded by East Carolina first baseman Austin Irby. Irby pivoted and threw to second to get a force play out on Gruell. But with Hallmark running hard, Pirates shortstop Nick Parham threw wildly to first.

Christian Hallmark. UTSA beat East Carolina 6-1 in American Conference baseball on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Christian Hallmark knows he is safe at home after scoring from third on a sacrifice fly in the first inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander. – Photo by Joe Alexander

As the ball skipped off to the side of the playing field, Stucky came around to score to make it 4-0, and Hallmark turned on the jets and made it all the way to second.

With Josh Arquette at bat for the Roadrunners, UTSA took a chance, with Hallmark accelerating and trying to steal third. He made it. With a perfect slide to the outside of the bag, he beat the throw. East Carolina appealed the call, but umpires confirmed it on review.

Now standing on third, Hallmark made a nuisance of himself once again. As Arquette lifted a fly ball into shallow center, East Carolina freshman center fielder Grady Lenahan ran in to make the catch, only to realize that Hallmark was tagging up and trying to score.

Score, he did. The UTSA speedster arrived just before the throw, sliding in for the Roadrunners’ fifth run of the inning as the fans who had suffered through a 3-0 loss on Friday night celebrated a 5-0 lead.

Christian Hallmark scores in the first inning. UTSA beat East Carolina 6-1 in American Conference baseball on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Christian Hallmark scores in the first inning on a slide past East Carolina catcher Walker Barron. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA looks to even series with East Carolina today

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

East Carolina pitcher Ethan Norby. East Carolina beat UTSA 3-0 in American Conference baseball on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Pitcher Ethan Norby, from Kernersville, N.C., led the East Carolina Pirates to victory in Game 1 of an American Conference series against UTSA at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Update: East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin said late Friday he is undecided on his pitcher for Saturday or Sunday in the wake of recent injuries suffered by Colby Weber and Gavin Van Kempen.

Weber, a Sunday starter, last pitched on March 15. Van Kempen, who had been starting on Saturdays, had to come out of a game against UAB in the third inning on March 21.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Professional baseball scouts may need to re-write their evaluations on East Carolina lefthander Ethan Norby after he dominated one of the best offenses in the nation Friday night in a 3-0 victory over UTSA at Roadrunner Field.

Like, maybe he needs to be rated a little higher as a prospect?

Working seven brilliant innings on a cool and windy night, the junior from Kernersville, N.C., allowed only one hit — a single — walked three and struck out 12 to help pin the first shutout loss of the season on the Roadrunners.

“The heater was really working, and then (I was) working everything else off that,” Norby said. “It’s a good lineup, but, I just (wanted to) keep attacking with the fastball. I got good stuff. So, it was (a matter of) just trusting it.”

East Carolina’s Ethan Norby worked seven innings, allowed one hit and three walks and struck out 12 in the first shutout against UTSA this season. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In the end, Norby and reliever Joseph Webb combined for the first shutout against the Roadrunners since they lost 7-0 to UCLA to end their 2025 season at the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional.

Norby threw 108 pitches, including 67 for strikes, as East Carolina (16-10-1, 3-1) won the first of a three-game series in the early stages of the race in the American Conference.

UTSA (18-8, 2-2) has a chance to get even Saturday when the teams play again at 2 p.m. Game 3 is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.

A season-best crowd of 1,205 attended the opener and watched as Norby, rated by mlb.com as the 70th best prospect for the 2026 summer draft, toyed with a Roadrunners offense that had been averaging nearly 10 runs per game.

As a result, he earned the victory and improved his record to 3-1. Webb closed in the eighth and the ninth for his first save. UTSA starter Christian Okerholm took the loss and fell to 0-2.

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin credited his starter for keeping his pitches in the strike zone.

“I think he had all his pitches and obviously his command was really good,” Godwin said. “He’s been fighting himself some, early on this season, just with his command.

“He’s been walking some guys. Hitting some guys. I thought he was ahead of hitters, and obviously this is a pitcher’s night with the wind blowing the way it is.

“But he was really good.”

Norby used an electric fastball to set up some devastating breaking stuff, which made it extremely tough on the Roadrunners with a north wind blowing hard into the hitters’ faces.

Drew Detlefsen. East Carolina beat UTSA 3-0 in American Conference baseball on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Drew Detlefsen, leading the Roadrunners with a .426 average coming into the series opener against the Pirates, hit in the leadoff position and went 1 for 4 with a single in the eighth inning off reliever Joseph Webb. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On top of that, the wind seemed to pick up a notch between the third and the fourth inning.

“It was crazy,” Godwin said. “You’d see balls going up. I mean, I thought we hit some balls hard. They just didn’t go anywhere.”

For the Pirates, who have made 34 NCAA tournament appearances in their Division I history, it was a big win for them to beat a Pat Hallmark-coached team in its own back yard.

“Look, you got to come on the road and win games,” Godwin said. “Obviously this isn’t an easy place to win. UTSA plays well at home. Coach Hallmark is one of the best baseball coaches in the country.

“I’m not saying that just because we’re playing them. (It’s) for what they did last year, going to Texas and winning (an NCAA) regional, and no offense, kind of making it look easy.

“He always has his guys prepared. They’re tough. They’re fundamentally sound. You know, their guy gave us a couple of walks in the first inning, which helped us.

“On a night like tonight, you probably want to limit the freebies.”

East Carolina scored one in the first inning and two in the third for the 3-0 lead.

In the top of the first, the Pirates drew two walks to open the game from Okerholm, who was subsequently pulled at that juncture and replaced by Gunnar Brown.

Grady Lenahan, batting against Brown, hit a ground ball toward second that could have easily been turned into a double play. But it was bobbled by Josh Arquette instead, loading the bases.

After Austin Irby struck out, Colby Wallace bounced into an RBI fielders choice to bring in the first run, before Davin Whitaker flied out to end the threat with two on base.

The Pirates made it 3-0 in the third, stringing together three straight hits, including an RBI single by Wallace. The second run came home on an RBI sacrifice fly by Whitaker.

Trailing by the eventual final score, UTSA had its best chance to rough up Norby and get back into the game in the fifth inning — and couldn’t get it done.

Leading off, Andrew Stucky broke up the no hitter when he bounced a single up the middle. Caden Miller then walked to spark hope for a big inning.

With freshman Aidan Eshelman coming up, UTSA coach Pat Hallmark had a word with him before he stepped into the box.

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin. East Carolina beat UTSA 3-0 in American Conference baseball on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin credited his players for the victory, in beating a team that had ‘kind of made it look easy’ in winning the Austin Regional last year against Texas. – Photo by Joe Alexander

First, an Eshelman sacrifice bunt attempt went foul. Squaring again to bunt, he tried to pull back on a high fastball, but the first base umpire called him for a second strike.

Finally, Eshelman went down swinging. With Brandon Bishop at the plate next, Norby fired a wild pitch, allowing Stucky to take third and Miller second.

Eventually, though, Norby got the best of Bishop, who took a called strike three for the second out.

Jordan Ballin followed Bishop to the plate, fouled off a couple of pitches and eventually walked to load the bases.

But just as UTSA hopes soared again, they came back to earth when Norby induced .426 hitter Drew Detlefsen into ground out on a comebacker, retiring the side with three runners left on base.

For the game, the Roadrunners struck out 13 times and totaled a season-low two hits, one of them coming from Detlefsen in the eighth inning with a single off of Webb.

Over the last two games, UTSA’s offense, riding high on a .326 team batting average, has stalled out just a bit.

In a 3-1 victory at home Tuesday night against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Roadrunners produced only three hits. Now, they’ve got a total of only five in two games going into Saturday against East Carolina.

For bright spots in the series opener, the Roadrunners could look to Brown and freshman pitcher Jake Qualia. Combined, they pitched nine innings without a walk.

Brown, who beat Texas to clinch the Austin Regional, worked four innings and allowed two runs on five hits.

Qualia, in his first year out of Lubbock Cooper High School, pitched five shutout innings to finish and yielded only three hits.

He said his mentality on a day when the UTSA offense struggled was to control “what I could control.”

Gunnar Brown. East Carolina beat UTSA 3-0 in American Conference baseball on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior Gunnar Brown pitched four innings of relief and gave up two runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked none. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We have good hitters,” Qualia said. “They’ll bounce back, whether it be today or tomorrow. I can only control what I can do on the mound and … trust that they’re going to do their job.”

Qualia threw 61 pitches, 40 of them for strikes, in what may have been his best outing of the season.

He said coming from high school in the Texas Panhandle to NCAA Division I baseball in San Antonio has been a big step. But he said it’s been working out for him.

“It’s been good for me,” he said. “The coaches have been great. They were really gracious at the start, working us into things, making sure we were comfortable the first couple of weeks.

“We ramp up in fall ball, work that up and then come into the season, so it’s just been a gradual process.”

Records

East Carolina 16-10-1, 3-1
UTSA 18-8, 2-2

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

East Carolina and Wichita State on Friday moved into a tie for first in the American at 3-1. UTSA fell back into a group of six teams one game off the pace at 2-2.

The Pirates can snap the Roadrunners’ streak of 12 straight conference series victories if they can win one of the next two games.

Jake Qualia. East Carolina beat UTSA 3-0 in American Conference baseball on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Jake Qualia from Lubbock fired five shutout innings, limiting East Carolina to only three hits. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA preparing to host East Carolina in American baseball showdown

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

Caden Miller scores in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UTSA a two-run lead. UTSA beat A&M-Corpus Christi 3-1 on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in non-conference baseball at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Caden Miller says it’s encouraging to see more and more fans coming out to Roadrunner Field, particularly the younger fans and children. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Editor’s note: Christian Okerholm will start for the Roadrunners tonight against Ethan Norby for the Pirates.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA baseball players are starting to notice an uptick in attendance at home games.

“It’s amazing,” UTSA first baseman Caden Miller said. “Most of the time we don’t get 1,000 (people) here.

“Like you’ve said, the last few times we’ve been at home, we’ve had a thousand, and it’s huge.”

Coming off a season-high crowd of 1,140 at Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, the Roadrunners are preparing to host the East Carolina Pirates Friday night.

The Pirates, who have made 34 appearances in the NCAA tournament in their storied history, will bring a 15-10-1 record into the opener of a three-game series in the American Conference.

UTSA will enter the weekend at 18-7, and both are 2-1 after the conference’s opening weekend. East Carolina was the American’s preseason favorite, with UTSA second.

Both are coming off NCAA tournament appearances last year, with the Roadrunners still riding the crest of a regional championship win at Texas and their first trip to a Super Regional.

“It’s really fun to see what’s being built here,” Miller said. “You know, getting people from San Antonio to come here to watch our games, no matter who we play.”

Miller said he gets a kick out of seeing so many children at the games, some of them already playing in youth leagues.

“The kids,” said Miller, a sophomore from Madisonville, “that’s a big thing. Just playing for the kids, man.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see. All these kids out here, looking at us, watching us play. (We’re) hoping we can be inspiration to them to continue to play.

“But, yeah, the fans, the atmosphere, it’s really exciting. It’s really fun to see.”

In 11 home games this season, the attendance has been 10,750, for an average of 977 per game.

UTSA drew 2,624 fans over three days in its season-opening series against South Dakota State, followed by 3,048 for Dallas Baptist and then a record 3,182 for UT Arlington.

The past two weekends have been the best attended three-game series in program history, with both being the only times since Roadrunner Field opened in 1993 that the venue has averaged better than 1,000 per game.

Records

East Carolina 15-10-1
UTSA 18-7

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

East Carolina lefthander Ethan Norby (2-1, 3.77) is the team’s Friday night starter. He is the 70th best draft prospect for 2026 according to mlb.com.

The Pirates also have 6-foot-7 righty Gavin Van Kempen (1-1, 1.84) as a starter and righty Sean Jenkins (2-1, 2.02) out of the bullpen. Van Kempen’s WHIP is an excellent 0.85, with Jenkins at 1.05.

East Carolina’s leading hitters for average are Davin Whitaker (.382), Walker Barron (.369) and Braden Burress (.364). Power threats are Whitaker and Grady Lenahan (both with five home runs) and Austin Irby with four.

“They’re good,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “They’re always good. They got a ton of talent.”

A concern for Hallmark centers around East Carolina’s pitching staff having five lefthanders, raising a question of whether he uses more right-handed bats, or stays with a lefty-heavy lineup.

The Roadrunners are hitting .326 as a team and scoring nearly 10 runs per game (240 in 25 games). Their pitching and defense have been solid of late.

In their last four games, the Roadrunners have yielded 17 runs.

But twice in that stretch, they have held opponents to one run, including in a 4-1 victory at FAU on March 20 and a 3-1 victory Tuesday night over A&M-Corpus Christi.

Also in the last four, their defense has committed one error or less in every game, including two error-free outings.

Texans in MLB identified as the 2026 season gets underway

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With the Major League Baseball season headed into Day 2 today, The JB Replay has unveiled its annual list of Texans in the majors.

This is a list of native Texans or athletes who played high school or college baseball in the state.

Trent Grisham played for the San Antonio Missions for part of the 2019 season before being called up by the Milwaukee Brewers. - photo by Joe Alexander

Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, from Dallas-area North Richland Hills, is coming off a 34 home-run season. Here, he’s pictured as a member of the 2019 San Antonio Missions. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Notably, the names of former New Braunfels High School players Jordan Westburg, Bryce Miller and James McArthur do not appear here because they’re scheduled to open the 2026 season on the injured list.

We’ll add these names when they’re activated. We’ll also add any others that we have overlooked when that information comes to our attention.

Here’s the list, in alphabetical order:

Tyler Alexander, Texas Rangers pitcher from Southlake Carroll High School and TCU

Grant Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers, pitcher from Port Arthur, West Orange Stark High School and McNeese State University

Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher from Waco and Waco Robinson High School

Kyle Backhus, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher from New Waverly and Willis High School and Sam Houston State University.

Anthony Banda, Minnesota Twins pitcher from Corpus Christi, Sinton High School and San Jacinto College

Shane Baz, Baltimore Orioles pitcher from Houston and Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School.

Clayton Beeter, Washington Nationals pitcher from Fort Worth, Birdville High School and Texas Tech University.

Josh Bell, Minnesota Twins, first baseman from Dallas Jesuit High School

Brett Baty, New York Mets infielder from Round Rock and Lake Travis High School

Kody Clemens, Minnesota Twins utility player, from Houston Memorial High School and the University of Texas

Danny Coulombe, Boston Red Sox pitcher from Texas Tech University

Colton Cowser, Baltimore Orioles outfielder from Cypress Ranch High School and Sam Houston State University

Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves pitcher from Decatur High School and the University of Texas

Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers pitcher from Alvin and Alvin High School

Mason Englert, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher from Forney and Forney High School

Kyle Finnegan, Detroit Tigers pitcher from Kingwood High School and Texas State University

Braydon Fisher, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher from League City and Clear Falls High School

David Fry, Cleveland Guardians infielder from Colleyville, Grapevine High School and Northwestern State University (La.)

Paul Goldschmidt, New York Yankees infielder from The Woodlands High School and Texas State University

Tristan Gray, Minnesota Twins infielder from Houston, Missouri City Elkins High School and Rice University

Randal Grichuk, New York Yankees utility player from Lamar Consolidated High School

Trent Grisham, New York Yankees outfielder from North Richland Hills and Richland High School

David Hamilton, Milwaukee Brewers infielder from San Marcos High School and the University of Texas

Ke’Bryan Hayes, Cincinnati Reds infielder from Tomball and Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School

Jordan Hicks, Chicago White Sox pitcher from Houston and Cypress Creek High School

Bryce Johnson, San Diego Padres outfielder from Cypress, Cy Ranch High School and Sam Houston State University

Ryan Johnson, Los Angeles Angels pitcher from Dallas and Home School Texas Alliance for Christian Athletes Storm and Dallas Baptist University

Josh Jung, Texas Rangers infielder from San Antonio MacArthur High School and Texas Tech University

Caleb Kilian, San Francisco Giants pitcher from Anaheim, Calif., from Flower Mound Marcus High School and Texas Tech University.

John King, Miami Marlins, pitcher from Laredo, Sugar Land Clements High School and the University of Houston.

Shea Langeliers, West Sacramento A’s, from Keller HS and Baylor University.

Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks, outfielder from Carrolton and Jesuit College Preparatory in Dallas

Casey Legumina, Seattle Mariners pitcher from Dallas, Basha High School in Chandler, Ariz., and Gonzaga University

Nick Loftin, Kansas City Royals utility player from Corpus Christi Ray High School and Baylor University

Chris Martin, Texas Rangers pitcher from Arlington, Arlington High School and McLennan Community College

Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox pitcher from Abilene, San Angelo Central High School and Texas Tech University

Brice Matthews, Houston Astros infielder from Humble, Atascosita High School and the University of Nebraska

Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher from Northwest High School in Justin, Texas

Dane Meyers, Cincinnati Reds outfielder from Columbus, Katy Taylor High School and Rice University

Hoby Milner, Chicago Cubs pitcher from Fort Woth Paschal High School and the University of Texas

Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, from Austin and Leander High School and Texas Tech University.

Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder from Midland, Keller High School and Baylor University

Ryan O’Hearn, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman from Frisco Wakeland High School and Sam Houston State University

Chris Paddack, Miami Marlilns pitcher from Cedar Park High School

Connor Phillips, Cincinnati Reds pitcher from Houston, Magnolia West High School and McLennan Community College

Brooks Raley, New York Mets pitcher from San Antonio, Uvalde High School and Texas A&M

Christian Roa, Houston Astros pitcher from Houston Memorial High School and Texas A&M

Jake Rogers, Detroit Tigers catcher from Canyon and Canyon High School

Antonio Santillan, Cincinnati Reds pitcher from Arlington and Arlington Seguin High School

Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher from Howard College in Big Spring

Justin Slaten, Boston Red Sox pitcher from Longview and Hallsville High School (Tx) and the University of New Mexico

Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox infielder from Irving High School

Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs, pitcher from The Woodlands

Jose Trevino, Cincinnati Reds catcher from Corpus Christi St. John Paul II High School

Jared Triolo, Pittsburgh Pirates infielder from Austin and Lake Travis High School and the University of Houston

Will Vest, Detroit Tigers pitcher from Sienna Ridge Point High School and Stephen F. Austin

Ryan Vilade, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder from Grapevine and Stillwater, Okla., High School.

Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals pitcher from Texarkana Pleasant Grove High School and Texas A&M

Cade Winquest, New York Yankees pitcher from Fort Worth, Eaton High School and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals infielder from Katy and Kingwood High School.

Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals infielder from Fort Worth-area Colleyville Heritage HS

Connor Wong, Boston Red Sox catcher from Pearland High School and the University of Houston

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins pitcher from Sugar Land Kempner

Ryan Yarbrough, New York Yankees pitcher from Austin, All Saints Academy High School in Winter Haven, Fla., and Old Dominion University.

‘Artistic’ defense sparks UTSA’s 3-1 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

UTSA catcher Jacob Silva tags out A&M-Corpus Christi's Isaiah Afework off a throw from left fielder Drew Detlefsen in the top of the eighth inning. UTSA beat A&M-Corpus Christi 3-1 on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in non-conference baseball at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA catcher Jacob Silva receives a throw from left fielder Drew Detlefsen before tagging out Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Isaiah Afework to cut off a run in the top of the eighth inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA catcher Jacob Silva tags out A&M-Corpus Christi's Isaiah Afework off a throw from left fielder Drew Detlefsen in the top of the eighth inning. - Photo by Joe Alexander

After securing the ball, Silva applies applies the tag on A&M-Corpus Christi’s Isaiah Afework to preserve a 1-1 tie score. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA made two eye-opening defensive plays in the late innings and then scored a pair of runs in the eighth Tuesday night to beat the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, 3-1, before 1,140 at Roadrunner Field.

Ace reliever Sam Simmons (6-1) closed in the eighth and ninth to earn the victory. Josh Arquette and Drew Detlefsen did the honors for the Roadrunners on the defensive side.

With two out and a runner at third base in the seventh, the Islanders had a chance to break a 1-1 tie when Hunter Azeman hit a ball hard that glanced off the pitcher’s mound.

It looked like it was headed for center field on the carom, but Arquette, who was shifted over to second base on the play, leaped and gloved the ball.

He whipped a throw to first base to end the threat.

In the eighth, with the game still tied 1-1, A&M-Corpus Christi’s Isaiah Afeworks beat out a leadoff infield single. As the next batter was striking out, Afeworks stole second, using his speed to move into scoring position.

Jackson Smith followed with a single to left field, and, once again, it appeared that the Islanders would take the lead.

But Detlefsen’s throw from left field rocketed to the plate, just in time for catcher Jacob Silva to apply the tag for the second out.

After Simmons retired the next batter for the third out, the Roadrunners rode the momentum into the bottom half, when they scored two runs to put the game away.

After Jordan Ballin drew a leadoff walk, Caden Miller smashed a double into the outfield in right.

Ballin was holding up at third, but scampered home to make it 2-1 as the relay throw from second baseman Cade Sanchez to shortstop Jake Barron went awry for an error.

Relief pitcher and winner Sam Simmons. UTSA beat A&M-Corpus Christi 3-1 on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in non-conference baseball at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sam Simmons (6-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the victory. With the performance, he lowered his earned run average to 1.63. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Miller, on second base after the double, took third on Silva’s sacrifice bunt and then scored on an electrifying play.

On Lane Haworth’s hard ground ball to the right side, Islanders first baseman Jackson Smith fielded it and fired to the plate.

Miller slid under the tag, giving the Roadrunners the 3-1 lead.

Simmons retired Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in order in the ninth to seal the Roadrunners’ second victory over the Islanders this month and their 18th in 25 games overall this season.

“I thought we played well,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “I’m proud of the win. Everybody wants to hit, and I’m sure some individual hitters would like a better night, but winning is hard and hitting is hard.”

One game after splurging with 17 hits at Florida Atlantic, the Roadrunners were limited to a season low of three against five A&M-Corpus Christi pitchers.

Said Hallmark, “Besides playing the position of quarterback well in (NCAA Division I the NFL, hitting a baseball in Division I and (major league baseball) is the hardest thing to do in sports.

“So, we can’t hit every night. I’m not disappointed in the hitting at all. We played a really good game.”

Hallmark used seven pitchers, including front-line regulars Connor Kelley, Christian Okerholm, Christopher Gutierrez and Simmons.

Kelley, who sat out last weekend after two straight performances in which he struggled with command, pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth.

He allowed only one hit and didn’t walk a batter.

“A very encouraging outing,” Hallmark said. “It looked like he was under control, not trying to over-throw, and he was still throwing 95.

“That’s what we’ve been talking about. Connor’s been working hard. Nobody wants it more than Connor, so I’m happy for him.”

Relief pitcher Connor Kelley. UTSA beat A&M-Corpus Christi 3-1 on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in non-conference baseball at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Relief pitcher Connor Kelley struck out three and walked one in two scoreless innings. He allowed only an infield single. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In his post-game interview session, Hallmark was asked how he liked the throw from Detlefsen. “How about it?” Hallmark replied.

“That was unbelievable,” he said. “Great play, with catcher Jacob) Silva hanging on to the ball while the kid was sliding in there. It was a beautiful play.

“I love baseball for plays like that. Kind of artistic.”

Hallmark said Arquette’s play was a great one, as well, akin to a dance move.

“Again, I’m getting a little corny with the art,” he said. “The older I get, the more I think the game of baseball is an art. If you play it right, it’s an art, and those two plays were art.

“It was beautiful.”

In a way, the win was just what the Roadrunners needed leading into a weekend series with their American Conference rivals, the East Carolina Pirates.

They had struggled in recent weeks with defense. In one four-game stretch, they made 11 errors.

Hallmark said earlier in the week that defense would be a focus as the Roadrunners try to defend their regular-season conference championship.

On Tuesday, he said it was good “for one night. You don’t want to hang your hat on one game, because you need defense, over and over and over.

“But we did (play well),” he said. “On Sunday (in Florida) we played good defense. Tonight we played good defense.

“So I’d like to give us about a 10-game stretch. Not that we’re going to be perfect in all 10, but after 10, if you have eight or nine good defensive games, you start feeling like you can do it.”

Caden Miller scores in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UTSA a two-run lead. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Pitching has also been a concern for the Roadrunners recently, but in their last four games, they seem to have corrected some things. UTSA has allowed only one run in two of its last four games.

“It’s something we take pride in,” Simmons said. “We know that we have kind of drifted from that. But I believe that as a staff, that’s our focus. We are back on that.

“It means something to us. We take pride in what we do. Coming into the next series … I feel like the guys’ mindsets are in the right spot.”

Records

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 11-13
UTSA 18-7

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

East Carolina fell to 15-10-1 on the season Tuesday afternoon after the Duke Blue Devils rallied in the ninth inning for a 9-8 victory in Durham.

East Carolina’s next game is Friday at 6 p.m. against UTSA at Roadrunner Field.

Drew Detlefsen hit three home runs in his last five games leading into the matchup with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

He had two on March 15 against UT Arlington and then added another one on Sunday in the weekend series at FAU.

Detlefsen entered the mid-week game against the Islanders leading UTSA in homers (nine) and RBIs (31).

Christian Hallmark. UTSA beat A&M-Corpus Christi 3-1 on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in non-conference baseball at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Christian Hallmark produced UTSA’s first run of the game in the second inning with an RBI single. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA baseball takes two of three on the road to open conference play

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

Christian Okerholm. UTSA beat South Dakota State 17-4 in the Roadrunners' 2026 baseball season opener on Friday, Feb. 13, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Christian Okerholm stepped in as a starter last Friday night at FAU and threw three scoreless innings, allowing no hits. After the Roadrunners took two of three from the Owls, they’re back home this week, hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday and East Carolina in a three-game series starting Friday. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After suffering five losses in a seven-game span, the UTSA baseball team journeyed to Florida last weekend for its American Conference-opening series against the FAU Owls.

As the Roadrunners opened defense of their league title, they found their groove once again.

They made some adjustments, played better baseball and emerged from the weekend 10 games over .500 on the season. Also, most importantly, 2-1 in league play.

Coach Pat Hallmark said Monday that he is happy with the series victory, especially in getting it done at Boca Raton, Fla., but he believes the Roadrunners can make plenty of improvements moving forward.

“I think we’ve been pretty consistent with the bat,” he said on a zoom call with reporters. “I haven’t been all that disappointed with the pitching at all.

“It’s maybe one or two pitchers, maybe not performing the way everyone wanted.

“For the most part, the pitching has been fine … We just got to get a little stingier defensively. That’s really where the progress can be made.”

Hallmark recalled thinking, as the team left Boca Raton on Sunday afternoon to return home, that UTSA is having a good year.

“We’re still 17-7,” he said. “We’re 2-1 in conference. And I feel like, I think a lot of people feel like we could be better, which is a positive. Right?”

“What’s wrong with that?” he asked rhetorically.

Nevertheless, Hallmark vowed that the Roadrunners, coming off a regular-season title in the American and an NCAA Super Regional appearance last year, will continue to work on their defense.

Players, he said, need to think on every pitch like the opponent will hit a ball at them. They need to expect it.

“It sounds so easy, but when you play 140 pitches and three hours, people’s minds can wander,” the coach said. “And I think it’s cost us a little bit.”

Leading into Boca Raton, the Roadrunners had committed 11 errors over a four-game period from March 13-17.

Even though UTSA settled down and made only one error in three games at FAU, the spree of fielding miscues in its most recent home series against UT Arlington remains on Hallmark’s mind.

“Again, that (focus on defense) starts with me, making that a point of emphasis,” he said.

Walks issued by UTSA pitching have also been a major concern.

The Roadrunners had allowed 52 bases on balls combined in eight games through last Friday night.

Comparatively, UTSA had issued only 42 free passes in 14 games during its 13-1 start to the season.

Roadrunners pitching settled down to walk only three over the last two games in Boca Raton. After winning the opener, 4-1, the Roadrunners gave up a lead late and lost on Saturday, 7-6.

They bounced back behind slugging Jacob Silva to claim an 18-8 victory on Sunday. The game was called after seven innings on the run rule.

Coming up

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners, powered by an offense averaging just under 10 runs a game, came in at No. 44 nationally on Monday in the NCAA’s ratings percentage index.

Senior Drew Detlefsen was named as the conference’s player of the week after he hit for a .667 average (12 for 16) over four games.

Sophomore Jacob Silva is also hot, batting .448 over his last eight games (13 for 29).

Silva went 4 for 4 with home run, three runs scored and three RBIs Sunday.

In UTSA’s 4-1 victory Friday night, Christian Okerholm, Gunnar Brown and Sam Simmons combined on a four-hitter.

With struggling Friday starter Connor Kelley getting the weekend off, Okerholm opened the game with three innings scoreless, allowing no hits.

He walked one and struck out two.

“Christian did a great job starting us off with strikes,” Hallmark said. “We’re happy with that.”

Hallmark said Okerholm will continue to pitch in a variety of roles.

“I don’t want to speak for him,” the coach said, “but we hang our hat on throwing strikes. That’s what we like about him. He’s very reliable.”

Hallmark said he’s hoping to work Kelley back into games in “lower leverage” situations “to see if he can get back in the strike zone.”

“Now is not the time to run him out there in high leverage situations, with the game on the line,” the coach said. “That’s the hope. But these games mean so much.

“Every game means a lot. So, it’s not super easy to do.”

Hallmark said Kelley is working “very, very hard” for another opportunity.

Last year, in his first season at UTSA, he worked exclusively out of the bullpen and emerged as one of the team’s best, going 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 24 appearances.

Kelley struck out 49 and walked 15 in 36 and 1/3 innings.

This year, the 6-5, 245-pound junior is 1-1 with a 7.58 ERA in six outings, including five starts. He has struck out 25 and walked 13 in 19 innings.

Kelley joined the starting rotation on the second weekend of the season after Rob Orloski went down in the opening game with a shoulder injury.

Orloski is out for the season.

By the numbers

The Roadrunners started the season 13-1, including a 3-0 sweep of Dallas Baptist at home and a 3-0 run in Houston against Ohio State, 9th-ranked Coastal Carolina and Baylor. Since then, they are 4-6. Here’s a look at UTSA’s last 10 games:

March 8 – @New Mexico State, L, 4-5
March 10 – @Texas Tech, W, 9-8
March 11 – @Texas Tech, L, 5-10
March 13 – UT Arlington, L, 11-15
March 14 – UT Arlington, L, 8-11
March 15 – UT Arlington, W, 15-8
March 17 – @Houston Christian, L, 11-12
March 20 – @FAU, W, 4-1
March 21 – @FAU, L, 6-7
March 22 – @FAU, W, 18-8 (7)

UTSA’s season ends in the NCAA first round as UConn rolls, 90-52

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

UTSA point guard Ereauna Hardaway pushes the ball up court against Connecticut in the NCAA tournament. UConn advanced with a 90-52, first-round victory on their home court in Storrs. Hardaway finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. – Photo by Denise DePiero, courtesy of UTSA athletics

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

An exhilarating postseason run came to a painful end on Saturday afternoon when the UTSA Roadrunners walked off the floor at Gampel Pavilion, finally beaten, at the hands of the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies.

From March 7-14, the Roadrunners stunned their rivals in the American Conference by winning five games in a row.

They punctuated the streak by claiming four wins in four days in Alabama to win the conference’s postseason title, allowing them to qualify for their first NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 17 years.

Paired with the top overall seed in the tournament, though, the Roadrunners failed to generate much of anything offensively in the face of a relentless defensive effort, and they fell 90-52 in the first round to the Huskies.

As UTSA (18-16) lost its first game since March 4, undefeated Connecticut (35-0) has now won 51 straight as it moves onward in a quest for a 13th national title.

“They’re really, really good and our team, I do believe our team understood that,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “(Roadrunners players) had the correct mindset, the correct preparation, but we ran into a team that is really, really, really good and what they do really well defensively is not very inviting for our team and it hasn’t been, to be honest with you, all year long.

“We have struggled against pressure at times and even in our league and so I think it was a match-up that was probably pretty difficult for us, but I do want to commend our team for continuing to compete.”

UTSA guard Ereauna Hardaway thanked Aston for the opportunity to join the team after she elected to transfer last spring from the University of North Texas.

“I just want to start by saying thank you to coach for reaching out and allowing me to have the opportunity to play here,” Hardaway said. “I don’t think she knows, but the love that I gained for basketball this year is crazy.”

Hardaway said she loves all of her new friends.

“I had the best teammates,” she said. “We had a lot of ups and downs this season, but I really love them and I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to play here. It’s been a fun season for me. Everybody might not think it went how it was supposed to, but I had a great time this year.”

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe finished four for 11 from the field and scored 11 points in her final game as a Roadrunner. She also pulled down eight rebounds. – Photo by Denise DePiero, courtesy of UTSA athletics

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe seconded Hardaway’s comments.

“It takes finding the right coach and Coach Aston is definitely the right coach,” said Rowe, who has played three seasons at UTSA following a transfer from James Madison. “She helped me gain my love for basketball again and the players, too. They bought into what me and Ereauna wanted.

“We wanted to win. We wanted our team to want to win. Having players that follow you, that listen to instructions, it’s amazing. I got to thank them for everything.”

UConn shrugged off a slow start offensively and moved easily into Monday’s round of 32 against either Iowa State or Syracuse. The Cyclones and the Orange were scheduled to play the second game of the day in Storrs, Conn., later Saturday.

How it happened

In the final analysis of UTSA’s first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2009, Connecticut athletes were simply too big and two quick.

They pressed full court, trapped occasionally at halfcourt and forced 27 turnovers, leading to 35 points.

That the Huskies caused problems with their press didn’t come as a surprise. But the extent of the mayhem left the Roadrunners flustered early as they fell behind 19-6 at the end of one quarter and 48-14 at the half.

Connecticut All American Azzi Fudd, scoreless in a foul-plagued first half, started to heat up offensively in the third period as the Huskies continued to force the action on the other end.

By the end of the quarter, it was 75-30, and the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Though the Huskies finally took their foot off the gas in the last quarter, they finished with 90 or more points for the third game in a row and for the 16th time overall.

It was the most points given up by the Roadrunners all season even though the Huskies’ two All-Americans — Fudd and Sarah Strong — did not play in the fourth.

A team that prides itself on its play at the defensive end, UTSA held UConn to 49 percent shooting from the field, three points below its average.

The Huskies also struggled from the 3-point line, making only seven of 33, though many of the misses came on open looks from high-percentage, long-range shooters.

UTSA hit 40.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent on six of 16 from the arc. Leading the Roadrunners were Rowe, Hardaway and Damara Allen, all with 11 points apiece.

UTSA women's basketball coach Karen Aston at practice on Wednesday at the Convocation Center. UTSA is preparing to play UConn in the NCAA Tournament. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston credited her team for continuing to play hard after UConn opened a 34-point halftime lead. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Rowe, the most outstanding player in the American tournament, finished with eight rebounds in her last game for the Roadrunners. Also in her last game, Hardaway had four rebounds and four assists.

Allen, a sophomore from Aurora, Colo., was a surprise starter at guard. She hit a bucket in the first quarter and finished four of nine from the field.

Junior forward Idara Udo had seven points and four rebounds. Together, Udo and Rowe, the Roadrunners’ major inside scoring threats, connected on only seven of 20 from the field.

For the Huskies, Strong scored 18 points and led the Huskies’ trapping defense with five steals. Forward Blanca Quinonez, the freshman of the year in the Big East, added 15 points and five rebounds.

The 6-foot-4 Quinonez, from Ecuador, also led the charge defensively with three steals and two blocked shots. As a team, the Huskies frustrated the Roadrunners with 19 steals and six blocks.

Guard Ashlynn Shade enjoyed a big day with 14 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore Kayleigh Heckel came off the bench to score 11.

First half

Led by Quinonez and Strong and a relentless pressure defense, the Huskies built a commanding 48-14 halftime lead.

UTSA trailed 8-4 early when Mia Hammonds retrieved a loose ball and hit a floater.

An Ereauna Hardaway jumper cut the UConn lead to 13-6 with two minutes left in the first period.

After that, it was pretty much all Huskies, who went on a 35-8 sprint to the halftime buzzer.

UConn forced 19 UTSA turnovers in the first half and turned them into 24 points.

Strong led the Huskies offensively with 12 points, followed by Shade with 10 and Quinonez with 10.

Quinonez highlighted a dizzying sequence with two baskets and a steal near the end of the half.

After picking up a steal off an errant pass from UTSA’s Allen, she dribbled three quarters of the court and sank a layup. It was the start of a 7-0 run to the buzzer for UConn.

The Huskies have been off since March 9, when they completed a three-game romp to the Big East postseason crown.

In the tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Connecticut walloped Georgetown, 84-39, before romping past Creighton, 100-51, and Villanova, 90-51.

The Huskies have scored 80 or more points in 20 of 21 games since the turn of the new year.

On the flip side, their defense has been devastating during the same time period, yielding no more than 69 points and holding opponents to 49 or fewer 11 times.

UTSA, in turn, last played on March 14.

They won their last five games coming into the NCAA tournament, including a remarkable 4-0 push in four days for the American Conference postseason crown in Birmingham.

Records

UTSA 18-16
Connecticut 35-0

Coming up

NCAA Round of 32 at Storrs, Conn., Connecticut vs. Iowa State or Syracuse, Monday

Notable

UTSA will leave Connecticut still looking for its first NCAA tournament win. The Roadrunners are 0-3 all-time in the Big Dance.

Previously, they fell to Texas A&M, 91-52, in Baton Rouge, La., in 2008. The next year, they took Baylor to overtime in an 87-82 loss at Lubbock in 2009. Both years, UTSA played as a No. 15 seed against a No. 2.

UTSA assistant coach Amber Gregg has been part of all three of the program’s trips to the NCAA tournament. In 2008 and 2009, she was a player under Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair. Now, Gregg is an assistant coach under Karen Aston.

UConn sophomore Sarah Strong and graduate student Azzi Fudd have both been named first-team All Americans by both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the Associated Press.

Strong is also a finalist for the Wade Trophy, given each year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association to the nation’s best player. Other finalists are Lauren Betts of UCLA, Mikayla Blakes of Vanderbilt and Madison Booker of Texas.

Editor’s note

The JB Replay did not travel to Connecticut. The San Antonio-based website that has covered all of the UTSA women’s basketball home games on site this season has accessed transcripts of interviews in Storrs as provided by the NCAA.

UTSA’s Mia Hammonds had five points, four rebounds and a steal. Hammonds was a key player in UTSA’s five-game winning streak prior to the NCAA tournament. – Photo by Denise DePiero, courtesy of UTSA athletics

NCAA women’s basketball: Time for the Roadrunners to ‘show what we’ve got’

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA players’ first look around in historic Gampel Pavilion on Friday raised their level of excitement for today’s NCAA tournament game against the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies.

But was it also intimidating? Asked that question in media interviews, UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe politely brushed off the suggestion.

“I would have to say it’s thrilling,” Rowe said. “I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating at all. (To me), as a basketball player, playing UConn is just amazing.

“You know, it’s a chance to show us what we’ve got. Show the world what we’ve got. It’s definitely an exciting opportunity, so thrilling I would say is the word, instead of intimidating.”

Regardless, the Huskies will bring the most talent that the Roadrunners have ever seen from an opponent when they tip off today in an NCAA first-round game.

Top-seeded Connecticut and No. 16 UTSA will play today at 2 p.m., followed by eighth-seeded Iowa State and No. 9 Syracuse at 4:30. The winners will meet in the round of 32 on Monday.

The games are being staged in Storrs, Conn., at Gampel Pavilion, where legends such as Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Paige Bueckers have thrilled fans in the past.

Only last year, Bueckers was regarded as the nation’s best college player before she turned pro.

UTSA coach Karen Aston told the media in San Antonio that Connecticut could, in some respects, be more formidable this year.

She said the toughest thing about matching up with UConn right now is the team’s overall size, along with its defense. Aston said the Huskies have forwards who play with guard skills.

“And that makes their defense really daunting, because they pressure you (and) get you sped up,” she said. “They trap you in weird places, and they create quite a bit of havoc.

“You know, I think it’s something that I think everybody’s had trouble handling.”

The Huskies, she added, shoot the ball “really well.” Which is an understatement, considering they score 88.8 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting from the field.

From the 3-point line, they’re just as dangerous. The Huskies hit 39.6 percent from behind the arc.

Their scoring average ranks seconds in NCAA Division I, while their field goal and 3-point percentages are No. 1.

“I think their defense is giving them lots of open-floor opportunities that maybe they didn’t even get last year as a national champion,” Aston said.

Records

UTSA 18-15
Connecticut 34-0

Coming up

Saturday’s NCAA tournament games at Storrs, Conn. – (16) UTSA at (1) Connecticut, 2 p.m. (ABC); (8) Iowa State at (9) Syracuse, 4:30 p.m. Times are central.

Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma is trying to keep his players grounded

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Heavily favored to win the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the Connecticut Huskies nevertheless have been getting an earful from coach Geno Auriemma about staying in the moment.

About focusing on the present. About their first-round game, which just so happens to be set for Saturday afternoon on their home court against the upstart UTSA Roadrunners.

The coach of the 12-time NCAA champions met with the media on Friday in Storrs, Conn.

Among the first questions to Auriemma centered on how he keeps the players’ attention grounded in the moment and not on potential challenges in the later rounds.

“We were having the discussion this morning with some people about how much more difficult it is now to harness that concentration, that focus,” he said. “There’s two sides to this. The one side is, (it’s) hard to get them to concentrate on the same thing for 15 minutes, right?

“When you think about it, even me, you, anybody, we’re so — I’m guessing that them thinking about Fort Worth or beyond probably only lasts about 30 seconds, and then they’re on to something different. I’m hoping for that.”

The Huskies (34-0) have won 50 games in a row. If the defending champions and top overall seed in the field can win twice at home this weekend, they’ll move on to the regional semifinals next week in Fort Worth. The Final Four is the following weekend in Phoenix.

“All we can do is just keep reminding them that whatever they think is in the future isn’t going to happen if you don’t take care of the present,” Auriemma said. “That’s all. And you have to hope that the players that have been there already can explain to them, this is how it goes.

“And maybe the more games they watch on TV and see how close some people do get knocked out — I mean, there haven’t been any women’s games except for the first four games — but you saw some of the men’s games last night, and you see what can happen in the NCAA Tournament.”

As for the Roadrunners (18-15), UTSA players said it’s been “cool” to come to Storrs and see Gampel Pavilion for the first time.

“This is a really historical place, a place you dream of coming to play one day when you grow up and get to be in this position,” UTSA forward Idara Udo said. “It’s really exciting seeing all the banners, and it’s really cool to get to be a part of the culture and the history here.”

Asked if the first trip to historic Storrs to play the undefeated No. 1 team in the country was intimidating or exciting, UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe said it’s a thrill to experience it.

“I would have to say it’s thrilling,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating at all. As a basketball player, playing UConn is just amazing. You know, it’s a chance to show us what we’ve got. Show the world what we’ve got.

“It’s definitely an exciting opportunity, so thrilling I would say is the world instead of intimidating.”

Auriemma holds a record of 1,284-165 for the most wins in NCAA history, and UConn is in the tournament for the 37th consecutive season under his watch.

The Huskies are the No. 1 seed for the 23rd time.

Connecticut has reached an NCAA-record 24 Final Fours and has won a record 12 national championships. They enter the tournament undefeated for the 10th time in program history.

Records

UTSA 18-15
Connecticut 34-0

Coming up

Saturday’s NCAA tournament games at Storrs, Conn. – (16) UTSA at (1) Connecticut, 2 p.m. (ABC); (8) Iowa State at (9) Syracuse, 4:30 p.m. Times are central.

Notable

UTSA is 0-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, falling in 2008 to No. 2 Seed Texas A&M, 91-52, in Baton Rouge, La. Again as the No. 15 Seed in 2009, UTSA took No. 2 Baylor to overtime before falling 87-82 at Lubbock.

Editor’s note

UTSA women to face their biggest challenge against mighty UConn

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball lost to Tulsa 53-41 in the Roadrunners' final home game of the season on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston has become one of 15 coaches to guide three different basketball programs to the NCAA women’s tournament. She’s had one trip at Charlotte, six at Texas and now one at UTSA. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

(Commentary)

The 12-time national champion Connecticut Huskies rate as an almost comical 54.5-point favorite over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Connecticut is 34-0 and UTSA 18-15.

The Huskies have walloped opponents by an average of almost 39 points per game, while the Roadrunners only a few weeks ago had lost six out of nine and languished at 13-15 on the season.

So, why would anyone think the Roadrunners would have a chance in a first-round NCAA tournament women’s basketball game set for Saturday at 2 p.m. in Storrs, Conn.?

Fact is, most people think the Roadrunners have no chance to win, and a lot of folks who like to assess the betting line, if only in a theoretical sense, will go with the Huskies to beat the massive point spread.

Right up front, I have one word of advice. Don’t read any more of this and go out and bet on the game. Please, don’t.

But for the sake of analysis, I wanted to use the line as a data point in detailing some factors to consider if you’re thinking the Huskies will cover it, and a few more if you believe a 54.5-point spread might be bloated.

First, here are a few reasons to believe that Connecticut could win by a massive margin:

* The Huskies play great defense.

They’re big and quick and they hold opponents to 50.4 points on 33.3 percent shooting. They also force 24.5 turnovers. The Roadrunners have had trouble in that area, committing an average of 25 turnovers against four Power 4 opponents.

* UConn is the No. 2 scoring team in the nation, averaging 88 a game. It’s a team also ranked No. 1 in field goal percentage (52.5) and three-point percentage (39.6). UConn has three starters hitting 42.7 percent or better from three. The Huskies’ bench averages 31.1 points.

* Forward Sarah Strong might be the nation’s best player. She’s averaging 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds. Strong is also shooting .601 from the field, .427 from three and .863 from the free throw line. When UTSA’s Cheyenne Rowe was asked this week if Strong was better shooting from inside or outside, she said, “Whenever she has the ball.”

Next, here are some thoughts on why UTSA could keep it closer than some might think:

* The Roadrunners enter the game at UConn with a certain intangible element as one of the fastest-rising programs in the nation.

In the 2020-21 season, they had plummeted to a 2-18 record. In the past five seasons under Karen Aston, they are 82-77, including 62-35 in the past three years. They’ve won a regular-season conference title in 2025 and now a postseason title in 2026.

* Aston has done perhaps her best work ever this season, in her 18th as a head coach and her fifth at UTSA. The Roadrunners were without five scholarship players this season and still managed to win the tournament.

* The Roadrunners’ top three players have a certain grit and tenacity about them, in that they’ve all overcome significant personal obstacles.

Guard Ereauna Hardaway, notably, suffered a loss of hearing as a grade schooler and battled through it to become a standout athlete at both North Texas and UTSA.

Forward Cheyenne Rowe lacked confidence when she arrived as a James Madison transfer three years ago. Now, she’s the team’s leading scorer. Idara Udo was limited with injuries last summer and sat out eight games at midseason.

All three made the American’s all-tournament team last week.

* Sophomores Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen, two of the best pure athletes on the team, are playing with confidence. Hammonds, at 6-foot-3, is shooting 67 percent from the field in her last three games.

So, there you are.

Now, let’s tip it off and see how the game plays out.